Barbara Skoczylas

Subprime auto loan delinquencies hit a record in 2026 — ESP Data Solutions industry news graphic

Subprime Auto Loan Delinquencies Hit a Record in 2026: What It Means for Lenders and the Used-Car Market

In January 2026, Fitch Ratings’ index tracking subprime auto loan delinquencies — loans at least 60 days past due — reached 6.90%. That was up sharply from a pandemic-era low of 2.58% in May 2021, as reported by Auto Remarketing, citing Fitch data. Under the methodology in effect at publication, the 6.90% reading was the …

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VIN decoding for catalytic converter VIN etching and recycler recordkeeping

How VIN Decoding Supports Catalytic Converter Etching and Recordkeeping

Catalytic converter VIN etching programs and state recordkeeping requirements address different parts of the same problem, but both rely on accurate vehicle identifiers. A VIN that passes applicable structural checks — including, for VINs subject to U.S. requirements, NHTSA’s 17-character format and check-digit rules — and returns manufacturer-reported attributes has more value later. An officer …

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VIN decoding for insurance claims — verifying vehicle identity and flagging fraud indicators

VIN Decoding for Insurance Claims: Verifying Vehicle Identity and Flagging Fraud Indicators

VIN decoding for insurance claims gives adjusters a manufacturer-reported reference for a vehicle’s year, make, model, and trim — a starting point for comparing that record against the claim file, title, and vehicle. VinLiNK™ from ESP Data Solutions decodes a VIN into report tiers covering vehicle identity, warranty/MSRP data, specifications, and manufacturer recall information. The …

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VIN decoding for EV marketplaces

VIN Decoding for EV Marketplaces and Electric Vehicle Listings

VIN decoding for EV marketplaces gives listing platforms a consistent way to identify electric vehicles — matching year, make, model, and trim across listings from dealers, private sellers, and trade-ins. VinLiNK™ from ESP Data Solutions  provides VIN reports with core vehicle identity data and, depending on the report and available source data, dimensions, warranty information, …

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VIN decoding for rental fleets — ESP Data VinLiNK report tiers

VIN Decoding for Car Rental and Car-Sharing Fleets

VIN decoding for rental fleets gives rental and car-sharing operators consistent vehicle records when adding inventory, moving vehicles between locations, supporting host-supplied listings, or reviewing an incident. A VIN decoder turns a 17-character vehicle identification number into structured data that can help teams identify and organize vehicles without relying only on manually entered descriptions. VinLiNK™ …

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VIN decoding for warranty claims: validate vehicle data before claim approval

VIN Decoding for Warranty Claims Validation

VIN decoding gives warranty administrators a structured vehicle record to check against contract and repair-order data. Used at intake, it can identify discrepancies before they become claim-time exceptions. Used during a claim, it gives reviewers a consistent reference for confirming the vehicle under contract. VinLiNK™ does not determine whether a claim is fraudulent or replace …

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VIN Decoding for Dealer Inventory: Accurate Listings at Scale

VIN decoding helps dealerships turn a vehicle identification number into structured data for inventory intake, online listings, appraisals, and service workflows. Using one decoded record can reduce repeated data entry and make it easier to keep year, make, model, trim, engine, and other available attributes consistent across connected systems. Why Dealer Inventory Data Becomes Inconsistent …

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Year-Make-Model (YMM) Data: The Engine Behind “Shop by Vehicle” Parts Selectors

A “Shop by Vehicle” selector helps parts shoppers narrow a catalog to products associated with their vehicle. Year, make, and model provide the starting point, but many fitment decisions also depend on additional attributes — engine, drivetrain, submodel, or body style. When a shopper selects the wrong configuration, even accurate product application data can return …

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